


Drabbles for tolkien_weekly

by Ysilme



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Drabbles, Gen, tolkien_weekly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-05 14:04:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/724116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysilme/pseuds/Ysilme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My entries for <a href="http://tolkien-weekly.livejournal.com/">tolkien_weekly</a>, a prompt-based drabble community on livejournal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ailments Challenge | "... but it's hot"

**Author's Note:**

> The Tolkienverse is new to me, as far as writing fanfiction is concerned, and I'm writing drabbles to get my bearings there.  
> My heartfelt thanks to [shadowycat](http://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowycat) and [Oshun](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Oshun) for beta-reading. Any remaining mistakes are my own.  
> The drabbles in this collection have all exactly 100 words as counted in Scrivener, or in Apache Open Office (German edition) until 203.
> 
>  _Disclaimer_ : Middle-Earth belongs to Tolkien, I'm just playing a bit with it for fun.

[ ](http://s710.photobucket.com/user/Winterwitch/media/Storyart/drabbles_tolkien_weekly.jpg.html)

_**Title**_ **: “… but it's hot.”**  
 _Author_ : Winterwitch  
 _Challenge_ : Ailments: Nausea/Vomitting  
 _Characters_ : Aragorn, Éowyn  
 _Rating_ : PG  
 _Word count:_ 100  
 _Source_ : LotR, movie-verse (TTT)

 

 

 

-(o)-

  
As they walked on, Aragorn started to feel queasy. Burping softly, he tamed his stomach down by sheer willpower, but only a frantic sip from his spirits bottle saved him from the disgrace of losing his meal in front of everybody.  
  
 _What's wrong with me? I've eaten worse before with less trouble._  
  
He caught her smile, grimacing in reply which cost him his concentration, following it up with the loudest belch he had ever heard, much to the amusement of his audience.  
  
 _By the Valar, I'll never eat anything like that again. That woman can fight, but surely not cook._

 

 

 

 

 

-(o)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must confess I'm not sure if this refers to a scene from the extended edition of the movies or not, as I haven't seen the regular edition for years. So if this leaves you puzzled or you want to refresh your memory, have a glimpse at [What Came Before](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBLwkGb71W4).


	2. Torture

**Challenge: Ailments – Toothache**  
  
 **Title: Torture**  
  
Characters: Gimli, Aragorn  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT)  
Note: I'm imagining this happening sometime after they left Lothlórien. 

-(o)-

Face contorted in pain, Gimli tried another bite of the chunk of waybread in his hand. Even that hurt like mad, but his stomach growled with hunger after several days of forced abstinence.  
  
“Here, Master Dwarf, dinner is ready.”  
  
A deliciously-smelling, roasted leg of hare was thrust under his nose, crisp and tender, making his mouth water. Trust Master Gamgee to provide a feast even under adverse circumstances!  
  
But it was no use, there was no way he could chew even such tender flesh.  
  
Gimli groaned, and Aragorn suddenly knelt before him, feeling his face carefully.  
  
“Toothache, huh?”

-(o)-


	3. Relief

**Challenge: Ailments – Cold**  
  
 **Title: Relief**  
  
Characters: Gimli, Aragorn  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT) 

-(o)-

  
Snarling, Gimli freed himself from the hands of the Gondorian and the elf, made his unsteady way to the shore, and dunked his head in the soothing cold of the river. Aulë, this had hurt! But the toothache was gone, together with the tooth, and he felt giddy with relief.  
  
But to have suffered the shame of having needed two men to hold him down while Aragorn  went about his business - worse, even,  a man and an elf! - was more than his dwarven honour could bear.  
  
Back at the fire, seven flasks of spirits were offered to him.  
  


-(o)-


	4. Result

**Challenge: Ailments – Headache**  
  
 **Title: Result**  
  
Characters: Gimli  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT) 

-(o)-

The next morning, Gimli awoke with a hammering pain in his head. What was this sorcery? Another tooth?  
  
Careful probing revealed soreness where the tooth had been, but no pain, and no other affected tooth as well. But why did he feel like a troll had stepped on him?  
  
He tried to sit up, falling back with a groan. Aulë's loincloth! It took all his self-restraint to not be sick right on his bedroll. Then he remembered the spirits generously offered by his companions, gratefully taken to ease the badly-aching excavation site.  
  
He just made it behind the next bush.  
  


-(o)-


	5. Last one standing

**Challenge: Ailments – Hangover**  
  
 **Title: Last one standing**

  
Character: Legolas, Gimli  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT)  
Note: Inspired by the drinking game in Edoras between Gimli and Legolas, see also [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDSFTugAlf4).

 

-(o)-

“Morning, Master Dwarf. Did you sleep well?”  
  
The hairy mound on the table moved a little, revealing bloodshot eyes and a greenish complexion, and eyed the disturbingly gay-looking elf with a groan.  
  
Legolas sat down, mug in hand, sniffing appreciatively at his bowl.  
“Hmm, delicious! Nothing like porridge with cinnamon and honey for breakfast, eh, Gimli?”  
  
Eliciting no response, he inquired, “Are you unwell, my friend? Don't tell me you had too much to drink last night!  
  
Another groan was the answer.  
“Go 'way”.    
  
Grinning, Legolas emptied his mug. Thank the Valar for Éowyn's special hangover tea!

 

-(o)-


	6. "... and Rohan will answer."

**Challenge: Ailments – Ear ache**  
  
 **Title: “... and Rohan will answer.”**

Characters: OMC  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (RotK) 

-(o)-

Eadfrid stared out over the plains, feeling the doors of Meduseld behind him giving security. His ears still ached from the ringing of the bells days ago, when the Rohirrim had been assembled.  
  
Now they were gone.  
  
So few had come back from the Hornburg, and fewer still remained as the call of Gondor was answered. Nobody he could look to for guidance had come back from the army muster at Dunharrow, not even the Lady Éowyn.  
  
Now he was in charge, yesterday a boy, today a man, left to take on a role he didn't know how to fulfil. 

-(o)-


	7. The Paths of the Dead

**Challenge: Ailments – Stomach Ache**  
  
 **Title: The Paths of the Dead**

Characters: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse (RotK)

-(o)-

Aragorn shuddered with relief when they emerged into daylight. Even knowing what awaited him hadn't prepared him for the overwhelming feeling of grief and despair on the Paths of the Dead, leaving him faint and nauseated. His stomach ached, and he suddenly realised he hadn't eaten for days. Even Éowyn's stew suddenly sounded appealing...  
  
A low  growl from the dwarf startled Aragorn, eliciting a knowing grin from the elf.  
  
“Hungry, Master Dwarf?”  
  
While their hairy companion elaborated on dwarves and their endurance without food, Legolas squinted, drew his bow and let an arrow fly.  
  
“Come on, there's dinner.”

-(o)-


	8. At the End

**Challenge: Ailments: Sore Throat**  
  
 **Title: At the End**

Character: Frodo, Sam  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Source: LotR, movie-verse, RotK  
Note: The last line is a quote, of course, slightly adapted for word count issues. 

-(o)-

Sam stared ahead, his eyes burning. The noxious fumes emerging from the ground made his throat ache.  
  
Finally they were here, so close to their goal, just a few steps away from ending it all. Ending the pain, the torture of going on, the torture of being strong for his master.  
  
Frodo, just a step ahead, stumbled. This time, he did not rise again.  
  
Sam searched for another small bit to keep Frodo going. He found nothing.  
  
Despairing, he closed his eyes, and then he knew.  
  
“I can't carry it for you, Master Frodo, but I can carry YOU!”

  
-(o)-


	9. Communication Challenge | Gobbledygook

**Challenge: Communication - Speech**

**Title: Gobbledygook**

  
Characters: Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, Celebrían  
Rating: G  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)

-(o)-

  
“Come, you must see this for yourself!” Celebrían dragged Elrond along to the tree where their sons were engrossed in a game.  
  
At first, she had been thrilled when they started talking at such a young age. But soon surprise, and then apprehension, had set in: while the twins clearly were using words and whole sentences, she couldn't understand anything.  
  
“Is something wrong with them?”, she worried, “They don't seem to use any normal words.”  
  
Elrond smiled, looking proudly at his sons. “No, everything is fine. Twins often invent their own language. They'll learn ours just as easily.”

  
-(o)_


	10. Big Brother

**Challenge: Communication - Sign language**

**Title: Big Brother**  
  
Characters/Pairing: Elrond, Elros, Maedhros, Maglor  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: The Silmarillion

-(o)-

  
Elrond cowered at the sound of the thundering voice of the tall man with the fiery red hair.  
  
A small movement of his hand signalled his brother to stay hidden – no sense in drawing unnecessary attention. Even knowing it was more bark than bite Elrond was afraid of the Noldo, and Elros even more so.  
  
Then the dark-haired came, talking in that foreign language and laying his hand on his brother's arm. Elros wondered if they had some secret signs of their own, like he and his twin, for the redhead always calmed after that.  
  
He wanted his nana.

-(o)-


	11. Lost

**Communication: Drawing**

**Title: Lost**  
  
Characters: Elrond, Elros  
Rating: G  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: The Silmarillion

 

-(o)-

With a sigh, Elrond let the scroll snap closed. He walked to the window, staring blindly out over his small realm.  
  
It was no use.  
  
Renowned lore-master he might be, and guardian of the most extensive library of Ennor which housed every bit of wisdom known to elf and man alike and then some, including copies of every map ever drawn on this side of the Sundering Seas.  
  
But no book could tell him where his brother now dwelt, no map could guide him there.  
  
Elros had gone beyond the gates of this world and was forever lost to him.  


-(o)-


	12. Changing Perception

**Challenge: Communication - Body Language**

**Title: Changing Perception**  
  
Characters: Elrond, Maglor  
Rating: G  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: The Silmarillion

 

-(o)-

"Now put your hand here, and the other there, and let your fingers feel the vibrations. Yes, that's right.”  
  
Two dark heads, one large and one small, bowed close together. A melodious voice explained patiently, while large hands guided small ones on the instrument.  
  
“Like this?”  
  
Another movement, brows knitted in concentration, some tinkling sounds emerged.  
  
A smile lit the grave face of the adult.  
  
“Well done, Elrond! Now try it again.”  
  
The boy looked up with a nod, shoulders sagging with visible relief. Slowly, the frightening stranger had changed into a stern protector and then a kind mentor.

 

-(o)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble was inspired by an artwork by Jenny Dolfen.


	13. Sea-longing

**Challenge: Communication - Mind Reading**  
  
 **Title: Sea-longing**  
     
Characters: Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas  
Rating: G  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: LotR (loosely)

-(o)-

  
As soon as they saw Legolas in Minas Tirith, they knew. He had never spoken about it since that day during the War of the Ring, when he had first heard the cries of the gulls. But the sea-longing had been evident in his eyes ever since.  
  
Now, with their brother gone, the longing had grown too strong to resist.  
  
When he came to Imladris to say farewell, they didn't even need to look at each other. They hadn't spoken about it since their father sailed, but now, no talk was necessary. Speaking as one, they asked: “Can we come?”

-(o)-


	14. The Last Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking it literally here that the ship Elrond took was one of the last to leave Middle-earth, until Legolas built his own.

**Challenge: Communication - Writing**  
  
 **Title: The Last Letter**  
      
Characters: Elladan  
Rating: G  
Warnings: none  
Book/Source: LotR (loosely)

 

-(o)-

  
As it was his habit, Elladan sat down to write a letter to his parents, telling them his news.  
  
He had written weekly at first, then monthly, then yearly; but after the last ship had finally left the Grey Havens, this self-imposed ritual became increasingly painful. All the missives written since then still sat in a small chest in his room, and he hadn't known if his parents would ever get them until now.  
  
But this was the last one, and he would deliver them all himself.  
  
Suddenly, the pain of leaving everything behind he had ever known became bearable.

 

-(o)-


	15. Petrology Challenge | Students

**Challenge: Petrology - Chalk**  
  
 **Title: Students**

Characters: Elrond, Elros  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)

  
-(o)-

Sitting side by side, so close they nearly touched, two heads bowed over their assignments.  
  
One small hand was gripping a piece of chalk, drawing on a grey slate, frowning in concentration. Awkward letters were forming, one by one.  
  
“There, how is that?”  
  
The other looked up, scrutinizing the offered result.  
“Much better, Elros. But the _rómen_ and _alda_ are still wobbly.”  
  
The chalk was thrown on the table with a huff.  
“Valar, I'll never learn that! It's much too difficult!”  
  
Elrond smiled. “No, it's not. You just have to practice, like I have to practice calculation.”  
  
  


-(o)-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: “Rómen” and “alda” are letters from the [Tengwar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tengwar_alphabet.png) alphabet.


	16. Full circle

**Challenge: Petrology - Slate**  
  
 **Title: Full Circle**

Characters: Elrond, Elrohir  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)  
  


-(o)-

  
Sitting side by side, so close they nearly touched, two heads bowed over their assignments. Small hands gripped pieces of chalk, carefully drawing letters on their slates. A tip of a tongue peeked out of a mouth in concentration.  
  
Unperceived by them, their father stood in the doorway. A painful bolt of recognition hit him as he took in the peaceful scene. They looked so much like Elros and him, all those yéni ago!  
  
“Look!” Elrohir looked up, satisfied, and smiled at his father. “I can now write _adar_!”  
Proudly, he showed the _ando_ and _óre_ on his slate.  
  


-(o)-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The re-use of the first line from the previous drabble is intentional. ;o) Also, my Tengwar knowledge is nearly non-existent. I cobbled this together from some samples and tables found online and ask for your patience if I botched it.


	17. Ai!

**Challenge: Petrology - Marble**  
  
 **Title: Ai!**

Characters: Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)

-(o)-

  
Elrohir stared in fascination at his brother's forehead, where a marble-sized bump was slowly growing.  
  
Elladan sniffled, valiantly trying to suppress his tears.  
  
Rubbing his elbow, Elrohir said: “At least you won, and you're going to have a cool bruise to show off.”  
  
Elrond was carefully examining the swelling, and, satisfied that the skin was unbroken, applied some salve. Then it was Elrohir's turn with more salve on the elbow.  
  
“There now, it's not so bad,” their father said. “But no more running in the hallways, you little rascals!”  
  
“Yes, adar,” they answered in unison. rolling their eyes.

-(o)-


	18. Cultural Difference

**Challenge: Petrology - Obsidian**  
  
 **Title: Cultural difference**  
    
Characters: Elrond, Elros, Ereinion  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)

-(o)-

Something small and dark glittered on the riverbank. Elros picked it up, marvelling at the  glossy sheen and the regular shape.  
  
“What's that? This can't be natural!”  
  
“An Avari arrowhead,” Ereinion said dismissively, “rather primitive.”  
  
“It looks wickedly sharp”, Elros commented, fingering it careful. “Is this really stone?”  
  
Elrond, having finally caught up, looked at Elros' find and nodded.  
“Obsidian, I think. It's of volcanic origin -”  
  
“Stop lecturing, brother,” Elros moaned. “I get it. Ai!”  
  
“-  and extremely sharp,” Elrond finished, digging in his pocket for something to bandage his brother's bleeding hand.

-(o)-


	19. Conflict

**Challenge: Petrology - Granite**  
  
 **Title: Conflict**  
    
Characters: Elrond, Elladan  
Book/Source: Silm (loosely)

 

“That's enough! I said no, and I mean it.”  
  
Elrond sighed. Trying to reason with his headstrong son was like biting on granite. Elladan would always find another argument against any of his father's, just like Elros always had.  
 _Oh brother, I miss you. I wish you could have met your nephews!_  
  
Elladan hung his head and turned to leave, biting his lip.  
  
“Elladan!” Elrond caught him at the door, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I'm not forbidding this to vex you, but to protect you.”  
  
“I know, adar. That doesn't make it easier.” But he accepted Elrond's hug.

 

-(o)-


	20. Mulled Wine Challenge | Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: allusions to The Hobbit: DoS which can be considered a spoiler

**Challenge: Mulled Wine - Cinnamon**

**Title:  Memory**

Characters: Thranduil  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit, about the end of the Watchful Peace. Inspired somewhat by the film, though I see this rather in the book canon myself.

 

-(o)-

  
  
Standing at the edge of the talan, Thranduil looked out over the wintry landscape. The snow had come early this year, laying a coat of innocence over his beloved forest.  
  
 _The darkness is getting stronger every year, and there is nothing I can do._  
  
As if in response, his scars ached fiercely, and images of horrid beasts flashed through his mind. A goblet was pressed into his hand. With a thankful nod, Thranduil let the fragrant, mulled wine work its usual magic to chase away pain and nightmares.  
  
 _Cinnamon, as rare as any gemstone, and even more precious to me._

-(o)- _  
_  



	21. A New Experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Master of Esgaroth is not meant to be the one we meet in the Hobbit.

**Challenge: Mulled Wine - Ginger  
**

**Title: A New Experience**   
  
Characters: Thranduil, Master of Esgaroth  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

-(o)-

  
The Master of Esgaroth bowed deeply, his hair wiping the floor in the process.   
  
King Thranduil tried his best to ignore the fawning behaviour of the man, which he found disgusting; he was here for negotiations, after all, and to establish some diplomatic relations with the lake-dwellers.   
  
A cup of wine was offered and a plate with some flat, rounded cakes. Accepting a piece, he took a bite. His eyes went round with surprise. What a fascinating taste! Pungent, even hot, but sweet, not savoury.   
  
“Delicious,” he said. “What is this intriguing flavour?“  
  
“Ginger, a spicy root from the South.”

-(o)-


	22. An Elf Has To Eat

**Challenge: Mulled Wine – Pepper**   
  
**Title: An Elf has to eat**

Characters: Thranduil  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

 

-(o)-

In the evening, there was dinner.

Thranduil had accepted; he was curious about the customs of men, and an elf had to eat, after all.

They certainly wouldn't dare to poison him, and who knew what else they might have come up with, considering the astonishing new flavour he had sampled earlier?  
  
He had come to Esgaroth to find new ways to provide for his people, and even if this proved to be nothing more than an easier access to spices like pepper, cinnamon and this new ginger, it was well worth the effort, as far as he was concerned.

 

  
-(o)-


	23. Improvement

**Challenge: Mulled Wine – Nutmeg**  
  
 **Title: Improvement (Double Drabble)**  
  
Characters: Thranduil, Master of Esgaroth  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

 

-(o)-

  
Again, the Master of Esgaroth bowed deeply. At least this time, his hair didn't touch the floor.  
  
“Your Highness, please accept this dish my chef created especially for you.”  
  
Thranduil, who had been ushered into a dining hall of threadbare splendour and shown to the seat of honour, nodded gracefully. A small page offered a flat dish on a silver platter.  
  
“Made from the best our kitchens and cellars could provide, from a very rare plant from the south, only served at the highest tables. We call it Gratin Royal, in your honour.”  
  
The dish emitted an enticing, rich aroma, making his mouth water. Thranduil raised an elegant eyebrow, contemplating the golden colour of the thin slices, sizzling in a rich sauce.  
  
“Pray, tell me, what is this mysterious plant?”  
  
“It is called Arda's Apple, it grows underground. It was brought to us by traders from the south.”  
  
Thranduil accepted a fork, took a sample, and closed his eyes in bliss.  
  
“It is not unpleasant. May I suggest a small addition, perhaps?”  
  
The Master's eyes bulged.  
  
“An – an addition?” he stammered.  
  
Thranduil gave a condescending nod. “Nutmeg. Some fresh gratings of nutmeg will go perfectly with the apples of Arda.”

 

-(o)-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Master of Esgaroth is not meant to be the one we meet in the Hobbit.  
> 'Arda's Apples' are potatoes. The literal translation, 'earth's apples', is a regional name for them used in Austria and some areas in the south of Germany.


	24. More Memories I

**Challenge: Mulled Wine – Mace**  
  
 **Title: More Memories** I

Characters: Thranduil  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

-(o)-

On the ride home, Thranduil was carrying the precious gifts of spices in his own saddlebags. Their faint scent transported him back to his youth and to some of his most precious memories.   
  
_Back to Doriath, back to the time before the naugrim came and dragons burned the earth. Back to the most beautiful forest the world had ever seen, and its manifold and aromatic treasure._  
  
 _Back to the kitchens, where the spices were prepared to make the King's Cordial. Vanilla, cinnamon, fennel, aniseed and mace. He had always been allowed to help pierce the skin of the green walnuts._  


-(o)-


	25. More Memories II

**Challenge: Mulled Wine – Sugar**  
  
 **Title: More Memories II**  
  
Characters: Thranduil  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

-(o)-

  
_The cook always gave him a piece of rock candy for his help, and when the work was done, sat down with a cup of tea and told him her stories of old, from Valinor and the Valar, from the two Trees and the crossing of the ice._   
  
_Thranduil loved the stories about the trees best. He had been born long after the first sunrise and often wished he could have seen them with his own eyes. To imagine, the light coming from trees, and no sun and moon in the sky, while here in Ennor there was only starlight!_

  
_  
_-(o)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never tasted Green Walnut Cordial myself, but have heard such praise sung about it that I thought it a fitting cordial favoured by Thingol.
> 
> Some commenters mentioned that starlight was the most treasured for the elves. That is, of course, true, but I'm playing here with the idea of a young Thranduil who might not yet have understood the true meaning of this, raised on stories of the Trees and other marvels coming from the other side of the sea. My intention of hinting at the culture difference and controversy between Calaquendi and Moriquendi might have been too ambitious, though.


	26. Temptation

**Challenge: Mulled Wine – Wine**   
  
**Title: Temptation**

Characters: Thranduil  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

 -(o)-

 Making camp on their way home, Thranduil was rather tempted by their newly-acquired treasure.   
  
They had not only traded a generous amount of spices of all kinds, but also enough Dorwinion to give the pack horses a hard time. Just a pinch of the spices would suffice for a kettle's worth of mulled wine, and a cup of his customary remedy would be more than welcome. His scars were aching fiercely after the dankness of the lake town.   
  
 But a stern look from his steward made abundantly clear that today he would have to settle for a cup of tea.

-(o)-

 


	27. Sounds like Challenge: The Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following three Drabbles are from unfinished challenges, but for the sake of chronology I'm posting them now - I don't think I finish the challenges more than a year later than they were issued!

**Challenge: Sounds like - Hare**  
  
**Title: The Surprise  
**

Characters: Thranduil, Legolas  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

 

 -(o)-

 “What are you making?” Legolas leaned at his father's knee, regarding the small pieces of fur on the table.  
  
“A surprise, my little green leaf,” smiled Thranduil, picking up an awl.  
  
“For me?” Legolas beamed, his eyes never leaving the skilled hands of his father.  
  
Thranduil pierced small holes into the furry pieces and sewed them together, creating first a body and then a head. Legolas was allowed to stuff them with wool.  
  
When his father started to make small ears, Legolas frowned.  
  
“Not a rabbit!”, he demanded. “I want a hare. Please, ada, can you make me a hare?” 

-(o)-

 


	28. Mishap

**Challenge: Sounds like - Hare-brained**  
  
**Title: Mishap  
**

Characters: Thranduil, Legolas  
Book/Source: pre-Hobbit (book)

 

-(o)-

Trying to suppress his worry, Thranduil hurried towards the healer's quarters. After ten years, he was used to the many mishaps of an energetic boy, but 'badly blistered' sounded quite serious.   
  
He stopped short at the sight of a half-naked, very unhappy Legolas, covered with swollen, red pustules. His face was dirty and tear-stained, but at the appearance of his father he mustered a brave smile.   
  
“I fell into the nettles,“ he explained.   
  
Of all the hare-brained ideas...! “Without your tunic on?"  
  
Legolas shrugged.   
  
"I wanted to catch that frog and not get my sleeves wet, lest I get scolded."

-(o)-

 

  
  



	29. Cluedo Challenge: Construction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This drabble already appears as no. 15 of the Approaching Rivendell Drabble series and is posted here for completeness' sake.

**Challenge: Cluedo - Hallway**

  
**Title: Construction  
**

Characters: Elrond  
Book/Source:Silmarillion

 

-(o)-

Elrond stood, gazing about. Not much to see yet, just one or two rows of stones, laid carefully along marked out lines to ensure right angles.   
  
But in his mind, he saw much more: the finished building, the first proper stone house in the valley. No improvised shack, no log cabin, no lean-to against the rock face. No, a big house, their dwelling for the foreseeable future. And here, just where he stood, was going to be a wide hallway, traversing the building and leading to all the wonderful halls they would have. The Last Homely House. His home.

-(o)-

 

 


	30. Signs of Autumn Challenge: Winter Preparations

**Challenge: Signs of Autumn -Mists**

  
**Title: Winter Preparations I  
**

Characters: N/A  
Book/Source:Silmarillion 

-(o)-

Thick mists rolled down from the mountains, cutting off the warmth of the sunshine. Shivering, he closed the shutters, lighting two lamps instead. Now that the summer was over, nobody wanted to work in the drying loft, cold and dark as it was. He volunteered for the solitude it offered.  
  
Humming to himself, he clipped down bunches of dried herbs and spread them on clean sheets on the floor. Next came picking off the leaves and storing them in  jars for the use of the kitchens and the Healing Halls. It might be a boring task, but he was content.

 -(o)-

 

 

 


	31. Winter Preparations II

**Challenge: Signs of Autumn -Cobwebs**

**Title: Winter Preparations II  
**

Characters: N/A  
Book/Source:Silmarillion

 

-(o)-

The next sunny day might find him hiking down the river, buckets and bags slung over his shoulders. The time was right for picking rose hips. A much sought-after staple for both kitchens and Healing Halls, the maws were dried, powdered, or cooked into a pulp for teas, physics, and sweetmeats. Even the seeds yielded oil for cosmetic and healing use.   
  
The collecting was another unpopular task, and again one he enjoyed despite the thorny shrubs. This time less for the solitude, but for the hidden beauties of late autumn, like cobwebs wet with dew, glittering in the sun. 

-(o)-


End file.
